Meaning & use
alternative
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Meanings
adjectivebefore a noun
Able to be used or chosen in place of something else, especially the usual or first option.
Grammar: Used before a noun: an alternative route, not a route that is alternative.
Patterns
- an alternative to something
- alternative arrangements
The main road is closed, so we took an alternative route through the hills.
The airline offered alternative flights to passengers who missed the connection.
She works on alternative energy projects such as wind and tidal power.
adjectivebefore a noun
Different from what is traditional or mainstream, especially in lifestyle, music, medicine or culture.
Grammar: Often contrasts with conventional: alternative medicine versus conventional medicine.
Patterns
- alternative medicine
- alternative music
He prefers alternative music to chart pop.
Many clinics now offer alternative therapies alongside standard treatments.
The festival draws crowds who enjoy an alternative lifestyle.
nouncountable
One of two or more things you can choose between; another possible choice or course of action.
Grammar: Often followed by to or used with have: we have no alternative.
Patterns
- an alternative to something
- have no alternative but to do something
Tea is a good alternative to coffee if you want less caffeine.
With the bridge down, we had no alternative but to turn back.
The council is weighing three alternatives for the old market square.
Word forms
| plural | alternatives |
|---|
Common combinations
- viable alternative
- Solar panels are now a viable alternative for many households.
- no alternative but to
- They had no alternative but to sell the house.
- alternative to
- A bicycle is a cheap alternative to a car.
- alternative energy
- The island runs on alternative energy sources.
- explore alternatives
- Before cutting jobs, the firm explored alternatives.
- healthy alternative
- Frozen yogurt is a healthier alternative to ice cream.
Synonyms and how they differ
- option
- Option stresses that you are free to choose it, while alternative stresses that it replaces or stands against something else.
- substitute
- A substitute takes the place of something missing and is often seen as second best, whereas an alternative may be just as good.
- choice
- Choice is the general act or range of selecting, while alternative points to one particular other possibility.
- unconventional
- Unconventional describes something that breaks from tradition, matching only the second adjective sense of alternative.
Opposites
Word family
- alternatively adverb
- used to introduce another possibility
- alternate verb
- to take turns or change back and forth
- alternation noun
- the act of switching back and forth
Commonly confused: alternative or alternate?
alternative vs alternate
Alternate means every other or taking turns, as in alternate days; alternative means another possible choice.
Practice
The tunnel is closed, so we need to find an ___ route.
Choose one answer.
Alternative route means a different route available instead. Alternate would mean every second route, and the others do not fit the meaning.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “alternative”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.